ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cold — not warm
  5. scale — in music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. net — after costs
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. net — for catching
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. net — in sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bore — to tire
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mug — a face
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spring — the season
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. scale — size or range
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com